Keeping good unionized jobs in rural Nova Scotia and keeping the sale and distribution of alcohol out of private hands is important to all of us.

The NSGEU proudly represents over 1,000 staff who work for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC). Our members are managers and clerks in NSLC stores in communities across the province, they work in central office, and in the central NSLC distribution warehouse.

We are reaching out to Nova Scotians to ask you to support your local NSLC employees, their families, and communities. Please AVOID using agency stores which are cropping up in rural communities at an alarming pace. You can recognize these stores by their signs which read “Authorized Agent” under the NSLC logo.

Agency stores draw sales away from the closest unionized NSLC store. If the sales drop below a certain point, the store may become a target for closure and good paying unionized jobs will be lost. Our rural communities need these jobs; they are a very important part of keeping a healthy and safe local economy through responsible retailing practices.

Selling liquor privately has been shown to increase the number of alcohol related deaths. NSLC employees are trained in ID programs like “Check 30”. They help to keep liquor out of the hands of minors and we count on them to keep our communities and our roads safe. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has made it very clear they support the public regulation and distribution of alcohol for the safety of citizens. Click here for MADD’s research and arguments for keeping liquor sales public.http://www.madd.ca/media/docs/MADD_Canada_Provincial_Liquor_Boards.pdf